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Monthly Archives: September 2007
You Khat Do That!
I apologize for the title. Still, go read Eric Scheie on the latest in drug war silliness, the war on Khat.
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Marriage and Divorce
Like speaking about the problems of “todays youth” we are generally told the institution of marriage is in trouble, and maybe it is. However, just as most social problems amongst our young are, and have been, in decline for some … Continue reading
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Taxing Oil
If we wish to lower the use of oil we should tax it right? Probably, but it isn’t as simple as that. Tyler Cowen explains why.
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Simply astounding
I say this not because I think the perpetrators fraud is surprising. My thoughts however are the same as those of Billy Beck: I marvel at the enormous psychic energy required to maintain such a horrendous fraud for so long. … Continue reading
Posted in Lance's Page, Media, Society
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Military casualties continue to fall
Despite the increased operational tempo and a deemphasis on force protection US military casualties continue to decline in addition to the decline in civilian casualties (likely this month to have made an even more dramatic drop when al the numbers … Continue reading
Posted in Lance's Page, Military Matters, Notes on the war
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The Maestro speaks out
Alan Greenspan gives an interview at Democracy Now! There is both a link to the audio and a transcript at the link. Brave. The interview is given by Amy Goodman, who generally I find insipid. Her guest interviewer however is … Continue reading
Defending Rush
You won’t find me rushing to the barricades to defend Rush Limbaugh very often. We have a very different view of the world, politics, and style (though he did use a post of mine on David Galula as background for … Continue reading
Posted in Domestic Politics, Lance's Page, Media, Military Matters
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Just When You Thought He Couldn’t Get Stranger
Yikes… Hollywood star Tom Cruise is planning to build a bunker at his Colorado home to protect his family in the event of an intergalactic alien attack, according to new reports. The Mission Impossible actor, who is a dedicated follower … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Keith's Page
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“Universal” Health Care Failing in Japan
Some interesting observations about universal health care in Japan. I suppose limiting the amount of care the government provides for is one way to hold down health care costs, but I doubt that is what people have in mind when … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Domestic Politics, Economics, Health Care, Keith's Page
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Updating those “Cooked Books”-Update
Questions continue to be raised about General Petraeus’ data on casualties that he presented to Congress. Today I went to Iraq Body Count and Iraq Coalition Casualty Count to see what the data was showing now that more was in. … Continue reading
Viva Las Kurdistan!
Those pesky Kurds, who keep building a prosperous society in defiance of claims that Iraq is lost and that nothing is worth or can be saved, now have a casino. Right up against the Iranian border no less. Oh well, … Continue reading
Posted in Lance's Page, Notes on the war
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Chaos at the scene
That is the gist of what we know so far about what happened in Baghdad during the tragic incident involving Blackwater security personnel on Sept. 16th according to The New York Times. The claim that the guards fired without provocation … Continue reading
Posted in Lance's Page, Notes on the war
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Reality vs. Snark
My tolerance for sheer bloody-mindedness is actually pretty high. If someone wants to insist that they are right despite every fact being against them, then that’s their problem as far as I’m concerned. When such persons continually lob snarky, and … Continue reading
Posted in Law, MichaelW's Page, Military Matters, Notes on the war
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News Brief, Coelakanth is Android Edition
I’m headed up to New York for a (not) relaxing 4-day weekend. So no news brief tomorrow. Or Monday… but lots of great stuff will be there (or not) over at The Conjecturer. Defense & The War Fabius Maximus has … Continue reading
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News Brief, Techno Dracula Edition
Probably pirating em-pee-threes over at The Conjecturer. Defense & The War Well, the military realizes how fundamentally broken our relationship with the PMCs in Iraq has become, and are now pressuring the State Department to exercise some control or oversight … Continue reading
The Future of PSC’s
I have to second Joshua’s recommendation that you read this article from Small Wars Journal on Private Security Contractors. Abu Muqawama has some thoughts as well, including the admission by an Iraqi Government spokesman that they need Blackwater, and don’t … Continue reading
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Justice in Jena-Updated
As a Louisiana native I probably should have weighed in on the “Jena Six.” Like Michael, and many others, my initial reluctance has been being unsure of what really happened due to sketchy and conflicting reporting. What I can say … Continue reading
Posted in Domestic Politics, Lance's Page, Law, Louisiana Politics, Media, Race, Society
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The Left List
The Telegraph lists the 100 most consequential men of the left in Britain. Hat tip Norm Geras (who finishes no. 77)
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European analysts on withdrawal
Most governments in the area oppose withdrawal, the Iraqi government opposes withdrawal, and now we learn (as I suspected) that most foreign policy analysts in Europe oppose withdrawal: While the American public and policy debate revolves largely around exit strategies … Continue reading
The failed murder of the Anbar awakening
Details are emerging on the murder of Abdul Sattar al-Rishawi.
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Che Chic at the History Channel
Mass murderer Che Guevara gets the whitewash.
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News Brief, A.D.S.R.M.! Edition
Cross-posted on The Conjecturer. Defense & The War This look at PMCs, from late August no less, is pretty close to my views. Recognizing the impracticality of removing all PMCs in the lack of any ability to regrow military capacity … Continue reading
The Nine
I highly recommend going to the Volokh Conspiracy for an interesting discussion of Jeffrey Toobin’s The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court. Here is a link to all the various posts on one page. Jeffrey Whelan has … Continue reading
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News Brief, Radio Cure Edition
Respecting all races and religions over at The Conjecturer. Defense & The War It turns out the U.S. repeatedly refused to investigate or handle any of the complaints about Blackwater allegedly murdering civilians. But don’t worry—there are clearly laws against … Continue reading
Jena In A Bottle
I have been following this story for about a week now, and I still can’t figure out what happened. Most of the core facts seem to be in dispute, such as whether or not the nooses in the “White Tree” … Continue reading
Posted in Domestic Politics, Louisiana Politics, Media, MichaelW's Page, Race
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Michael Totten on the defeat of al Qaeda
Al Qaeda lost in Anbar, and Michael looks at why with one of the most admired commanders in Iraq, 3rd Infantry Division Lieutenant Colonel Mike Silverman.
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Military Contractors and Blackwater
The Monkey Tennis Centre looks at the issue of private military contractors and the recent controversy over Blackwater’s conduct.
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News Brief, Sober Weekend Edition
I’m in in ur browser, killing ur time, over at The Conjecturer. Defense & The War We’ll see if the CSIS Smart Power blog has anything interesting to say. So far, it’s nothing new, or at least nothing interesting. Michael … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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So happy that I’m blue …
I’m probably the last one to see this, but this song/commercial is really well done. I especially like the homage to the Beatles. And I think this comment sums it all up: why cant real apples sing like that?!?!?!?!?!, Heh. … Continue reading
Posted in MichaelW's Page, Music
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Mom in the decision loop
From the AP: Once her son is off to school, Laura Mansfield settles in at her dining room table with her laptop and begins trolling Arabic-language message boards and chat rooms popular with jihadists. Fluent in Arabic, the self-employed terror … Continue reading
Posted in Lance's Page, Notes on the war
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The Belgium split
The story has not only finally pierced our Newsbrief, but the NY Times.
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News Brief, Les Nuits Edition
Most likely sober over at The Conjectuer. Defense & The War We still haven’t figured out how to bolster the Afghan police properly. Michael didn’t like me accusing Blackwater employees of a “history of murdering civilians,” nor did he think … Continue reading
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One great bar after another
is leaving me and Baton Rouge. My former home, the Bayou, burned down. Now the legendary downtown Baton Rouge watering hole, The Thirsty Tiger, is being sold and turned into a high end wine and martini bar. We wanted a … Continue reading
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Pot Meet Kettle…
This is highly amusing… http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=paLydon_Thurs_14_Lydon_carcass&show_article=1 Punk legend John Lydon has lashed out at Sting – calling The Police frontman a “soggy old dead carcass”. The Sex Pistol, also known as Johnny Rotten, poured scorn on the Eighties band’s recent comeback. … Continue reading
Posted in Keith's Page, Music
8 Comments
Canadian MP comes to US for treatment-Update x2
Why? This chart might give a clue: Seems that not only is the US the best place to be treated for cancer, Canada isn’t even in the top 20. The difference is also startlingly large. Say Anything has more. Update: … Continue reading
Posted in Domestic Politics, Health Care, Lance's Page
17 Comments
Iranian meddling in Iraq
One can only hope he was caught red-handed… http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,297426,00.html An Iranian officer accused of smuggling powerful roadside bombs into Iraq was arrested Thursday in northern Iraq, the U.S. military said. The arrest could add to tensions between Washington and Tehran … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs, Keith's Page, Military Matters
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News Brief, Lover’s Spit Edition
Three kinds of busy over at The Conjecturer. Good News I was ambushed by the Anonymous Lobbyist of Wonkette fame, and asked a lot of questions about Central Asia for Jezebel, a sister publication in the Gawker blog family. The … Continue reading
Stock Market Put Options near Expiring
Last month I posted about nearly a BILLION dollars in put options placed on the S&P 500 closing down by a significant amount. That’s placing a large bet on the stock market crashing. Well, come Friday the bet is up… … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, Keith's Page
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Hunting al Qaeda III
The last installment in Michael Yon’s recent series is now up.
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Who Would Have Thought?
One of the more irritating aspects of debates on urban planning is the denial of what should be obvious. More people per square mile relative to the number of miles of roads means more traffic congestion. Yet “Smart Growth” and … Continue reading
Posted in Lance's Page, Urban planning and development
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Krugman’s fantasies about “The Great Compression”
Part of the reason for the increase in inequality of recent years is that we are getting back to a more “normal” distribution. Paul Krugman thinks this is bad and an unraveling of the New Deal accomplishment. Tom Maguire calls … Continue reading
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The Soviet Army of Liberation
Or that is how Michael Dobb’s of the Washington Post views them, along with Napoleon and Alexander the Great, in his pathetic attempt to critique Fred Thompson’s claims about the sacrifices of America for other people’s liberty. Captain Ed and … Continue reading
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Another Whack at the WAPO’s ethno-sectarian myth
McQ, you know, actually checks for what the criteria is for a sectarian murder. The WAPO seems not to have.
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Still Crunching The Data On The Surge: On “mixed results” and Iraqi Bonds-UPDATED
Economist Michael Greenstone has done an admirable, even handed and statistically rigorous analysis of available data on the trends in Iraq since the beginning of the surge. His most important conclusions: Civilian casualties have declined. The decline is not only … Continue reading
News Brief, Wolverine Edition
Slowly going mad with exhaustion at The Conjecturer. Defense & The War Security is falling to pieces in Southern Iraq. Rather than taking it as evidence of the need for benevolent Western leadership over Iraqi affairs, I see it as … Continue reading
Robert Jordan RIP
While I am saddened that I may not get to read the final book in The Wheel Of Time series, my oldest will be crushed.
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What a crock
Ambassador Crocker (you know, the guy who is busy hiding his head in the sand and cooking the books with Petraeus) takes on one of the real problems with our Iraq policy, the treatment of refugees from the fighting there. … Continue reading
The Empty Bed
Captain Ed posts about the dramatic decline in the level of business at Baghdad’s Hospital and Morgue. As some squabble over interpretations of data, reports of dramatic change still keep coming in (From Reuters! We know they are on the … Continue reading
From A Nightmare Sleep
If you have already read part I of Michael Totten’s coverage of Anbar’s Awakening, part II is now up. If you haven’t, please start there.
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